International Container Terminal Services Inc.’s (ICTSI) terminal in Mexico can now accommodate some of the world’s largest container ships after securing approval to serve vessels with drafts of up to 15.5 meters.
In a statement on Monday, ICTSI said that Second Specialized Container Terminal (TEC-II) at the Port of Manzanillo can now handle vessels up to 400 meters long, including ultra-large container vessels capable of carrying as many as 24,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
This makes ICTSI’s Mexican arm, Contecon Manzanillo S.A. de C.V. (CMSA), the first and only terminal operator at the Port of Manzanillo with such capability, strengthening the Philippine port giant’s presence in the Latin American market.
ICTSI is looking to deepen the terminal further, with CMSA ultimately targeting a 17-meter operational draft at its new berths to accommodate even larger vessels and higher cargo volumes.
‘As vessel sizes continue to increase, terminals must ensure they have the infrastructure needed to support them,’ CMSA CEO Jose Antonio Contreras said. ‘This approval expands our ability to serve larger ships and supports the next stage of the terminal’s development.’
Apart from handling larger ships, CMSA is also expanding TEC-II’s cargo-handling capacity under its multiphase expansion program.
Under Phase 3B, CMSA is adding 227 meters of quay, two quay cranes and nine rubber-tired gantries. Once operational, the expansion is expected to lift the terminal’s annual capacity to 2 million TEUs from about 1.8 million TEUs currently.
The terminal presently operates 12 quay cranes and 43 rubber-tired gantries.
Phase 3B builds on the completion of Phase 3A in 2025, which initially increased TEC-II’s annual capacity to more than 1.77 million TEUs. CMSA has invested $900 million to expand TEC-II’s yard and berth capacity.
Manzanillo is as a key gateway for Mexico’s trade with Asia and provides access to major consumer and industrial markets, including Mexico City.
ICTSI secured a 34-year concession to develop and operate TEC-II in 2010. The terminal began commercial operations in 2013 and reached a cumulative throughput of 12 million TEUs in January this year. ICTSI, led by tycoon Enrique Razon Jr., operates more than 30 terminals across 19 countries in Asia-Pacific, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.